Family Services

THE FAMILY SERVICES MISSION: Family Services educates and empowers community members by providing resources that offer sustainable alternatives to households in crisis. Delivered with compassion and respect, our efforts help weave a stronger fabric of support in our communities.

SEVCA’s Family Services / Crisis Resolution Program is our first line of defense in the War on Poverty. The Family Services (FS) staff provides help for families and individuals who are experiencing life-changing emergencies through crisis resolution programs that provide financial assistance, short-term case management, service linkage, and advocacy. Balancing all roles, the FS Outreach Workers serve as advocates, negotiators, counselors, mediators, confidantes, and all-around ‘string pullers.’ For homeless households or those at risk of homelessness, they are able to help with Housing Assistance to prevent eviction or help families obtain affordable housing. Their skills may be all that stand between a person and the street (or even freezing to death).

Jobs for Independence (JFI) program. SEVCA is a partner in the state’s new Jobs for Independence program, conducting outreach and recruitment activities along with the other state Community Action Agencies (CAAs). The program, part of a federal, 10-state pilot program, focuses on people with significant barriers to employment. Half of Vermont’s 3,000 participants will receive the standard range of state services and half will receive an additional bundle of enhanced employment & training and wrap-around services. Data from the pilot will eventually be used to develop a model of services that produces better participant employment outcomes.